How to Change a Flat Tire

What would you do if you popped a tire on the road. Would you pull over and call for help, or could you replace your tire and save yourself some tow truck fees. There are about “220 million flat tires per year” and “every driver will experience on average up to 5 flat tires in their lifetime” (Active Tools). Flat tires are going to happen to drivers and its up to you to be prepared. Plus changing a tire should take less then 30 minutes.

So with this paper, I hope I can teach you how to save a little money. I’ll show you what to do when you’re on the road and your tire pops, what materials you should have in your car, and how to replace the flat tire.

Well first off, it’s very important to stay calm, slow down, turn on your hazard lights, and pull to the right side. Once you make it to the side of the road, you should probably let a friend or family member know where you are and that you’ve popped a tire. It’s not always the safest environment when you’re on the side of the road. Which is why I suggest you find a nice flat hard surface with plenty of light, in a safe neighborhood. The rubber will cushion the rim long enough for you to find a safe spot as long as you drive slowly. This process should not be any different on the freeway compared to one of the roads you live on.

Next, you should check if your car has a car Jack, lug wrench, a fully inflated spare tire, and the owner’s manual. These are the essential for items you need for a tire change. It’s also nice to have gloves, safety glasses, wheel wedges, and maybe reflectors. But when you’re on the road, you’re not always going to expect or be prepared for these situations. So, you should practice changing your tires at least once a year.

Here’s a checklist from Bridge Stone Tires

• Jack
• Lug wrench
• Fully inflated spare tire
• Vehicle owner’s manual

Here’s some things you need to keep in mind before you find yourself in this situation. Ask yourself where your spare tire kept, how do you retrieve it, and what good is it if it’s just as flat as your current tire. So you should check your spare tire periodically and understand all the tire changing steps. You should also keep in mind what to do when you make it to the side of the road. It’s important to identify which tire is flat and which wheels need to be blocked off, typically the wheel opposite to the flat. You should also turn on the E brake. Lastly you should know that changing your own tire is only good enough for you to get home or to the nearest mechanic. Now is a good time to grab all your materials and lay out in front of you.

Next, we can start changing the tire. Your car is most likely going to have a hubcap or cover. You need to remove this first, which typically requires just a pulling motion. Put this cover face up so it doesn’t get scratched. What you need to do next is crack loose each lug nut with the provided wrench. If your car is up in the air, the wheel is just going to spin.

After you loosen each nut, you’re able to use the jack stand on the appropriate jack points. You don’t want to put the jack on your oil pan, muffler or something that can’t hold weight, especially the weight of the whole car. If you accidentally crush something or damage it, then you better just call the tow truck now.

Then you can finish removing all the lug nuts, make sure you don’t lose them. That allows you remove the tire and set it to the side. Now you can bring your new tire and put it onto the threads. This is where you hand tighten all the lug nuts, so you don’t cross thread them and possibly ruin the thread. With the tire being hand tightened and them some, it’s okay to lower your vehicle slowly and torque to spec in a star pattern.

You can easily find the tire specs of your car in the manual or on the internet. If you can’t find the torque specs, you could be safe with 70 to 100-foot pounds for cars and closer to 150 for trucks. Another good thing to keep in mind if you don’t have a torque wrench, a foot of leverage will get you 100-foot pounds at your full strength. Make sure you get them torqued right as soon as possible because its only good enough for you to get to your destination.

Hopefully by now you have a good idea on how to safely change a tire. But you don’t really learn anything unless you practice this skill. So I challenge you to go out with a friend and try to replace your tire in your driveway. And like always, drive safe out there.

Work Cited

“How to Change a Flat Tire.” Bridgestone Tires, www.bridgestonetire.com/tread-and-trend/drivers-ed/how-to-change-a-flat-tire.

“Tire Repair Kit Facts.” Active Tools International, http://www.activetools.com/education-center/the-science-behind-our-compressors.

“Wheel Lug Nut Torquing.” Adaptit USA Wheel Adapters and Spacers, adaptitusa.com/wheellugnuttorquing.aspx.

John. “How to Change a Flat Tyre: Articles: Motorist.” Motorist.sg, 12 Mar. 2020, http://www.motorist.sg/article/140/how-to-change-a-flat-tyre.

Lampe, Blair. “Spare Tire Selection: Donut vs. Full Size.” NAPA Know How Blog, 19 Oct. 2017, knowhow.napaonline.com/spare-tire-selection-donut-vs-full-size/.